


The Things We Do For Love

by angevin2



Category: Richard II - Shakespeare
Genre: (Not Very Good Ones), M/M, Murder Husbands, Poor Life Choices, Pre-Canon, Unsubtle Foreshadowing, Weird Things To Talk About After Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-05 02:32:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12181182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angevin2/pseuds/angevin2
Summary: Edward of Aumerle will agree to really stupid things if Richard asks him to.





	The Things We Do For Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [speakmefair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/speakmefair/gifts).



Edward doesn't know how he got into this.

Thirty seconds ago he'd been drifting off into a perfectly comfortable postcoital nap, and now he's trying to figure out, with his still fairly sex-fogged brain, if he's just been asked to arrange the murder of his uncle. "I mean," Richard is saying, "accidents do happen. Uncle Lionel was killed by a bad eel tart, for Christ's sake."

Neither of them had ever met Uncle Lionel, who had died when Richard was still a baby in Aquitaine and Edward had yet to be born, and some people said he hadn't actually died from illness but had been poisoned by his father-in-law, which was only what you could expect from marrying into the Visconti. Italians loved that sort of thing.

"They say that wasn't really an accident," Edward points out.

"It still counts," Richard says. "The _point_ is, people die unexpectedly all the time. It might look _convenient,_ but -- " He shrugs, evidently still looking for an end to that sentence. 

"Maybe we'll get lucky again," Edward says. Their uncle Lionel had been fairly harmless, by all accounts, and his death hadn't really been a benefit to anyone, except perhaps John of Gaunt, who got to move ahead a little in the line of succession, but it was a solid, noncommittal response, the kind that lets Richard know he's still on his side emotionally without suggesting he's up for taking an active role in _arranging_ an accident. Even though it's not like he'd actually _miss_ their uncle Thomas very much. He'd been a thorn in Richard's side as long as Edward could remember, and even his own father, who is unusually forbearing and willing to extend second chances, has recently retired to King's Langley rather than continue to intercede for his troublesome younger brother.

Richard, for his part, is laughing at Edward's completely accidental double entendre and trailing his fingers through Edward's chest hair to parts beyond, and it's unfairly distracting at a moment like this. Not that Edward's about to ask him to stop. 

Of course, it seems to distract Richard too, because then he's grinning and kneeling astride him, and that's even _more_ distracting. "Up for more already?" he says. "I think I can manage that."

Edward grins back at him. "Give me a few more minutes," he says. He'd do anything for Richard, but there's nothing in particular he can do to transcend anatomy. But Richard just laughs and rests his hands on Edward's chest again. 

"Are you having some sort of moral objection?" Richard says. "You're so adorable when you're being ethical." He bends in to kiss him, and Edward's hands make their way up Richard's thighs to grasp his hips. Richard is irresistible when he's laughing. 

"Maybe?" he says when they're finished, and Richard sighs and rests his head on Edward's chest. Edward wraps his arms around Richard and runs his fingers through his hair, focusing on that for a moment because it's much nicer than thinking about murder.

"You missed the worst of it, Edward," Richard mumbles drowsily, startling Edward, who's just started to wonder if he's fallen asleep. 

"I know," Edward says. He smooths a hand down Richard's back, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Edward had always regarded Robert de Vere with a sort of fascinated jealousy; he'd been too young to merit much more than older-cousin condescension from Richard, and Richard had been far too wrapped up in his relationships with de Vere and Queen Anne to pay much attention to anyone else. But Edward had seen enough of de Vere to understand why Richard loved him. Once, shortly before de Vere was exiled, he'd accidentally walked in on the two of them kissing and had had to creep awkwardly back to his own quarters clutching his hood tightly in front of him. 

So of course he remembers how devastated Richard had been when the Lords Appellant had driven him into exile. He doesn't think he can blame him, even, for wanting revenge. There had been rumors that the Appellants had actually decided to depose Richard, except that they couldn't decide what to do next, or else they were afraid of what would happen when John of Gaunt returned from his wars in Spain. Edward hadn't really known about any of this at the time, but when he thinks of how he would have felt, how he would feel _now_ if anything had happened to Richard, he's inclined to put aside whatever qualms he has if it will keep him safe, or give him peace of mind. If _anything_ can give Richard peace of mind.

"They went after everyone I love," Richard says, and Edward strokes Richard's hair and says, again, "I know."

Richard props himself up on his elbow to study Edward's face, Edward's cheeks heating up as Richard strokes his cheek with his free hand and adds, "I couldn't bear it if they went after you now, you know," and for a moment he can scarcely breathe and he knows, as if he hadn't known already, that he'll do anything Richard wants. He covers Richard's hand with his own and nods, and Richard stretches out beside him again and pulls him against his chest.

"You wouldn't have to be that involved," Richard murmurs into his hair. "I'd only need you to provide support -- a few men, say. He's on his way to Calais, after all, and Thomas Mowbray is in charge there. I'll leave the details to him."

Edward nods again, a bit dizzy from the effort of keeping up with Richard's moods. "I'll...find you someone," he says, after a bit.

"It'll be all right, Edward," Richard says, and kisses his forehead. "I'm the King, after all. It's only his due as a traitor."

"Of course," Edward says, and he knows Richard is right. Thomas is a traitor, and Richard _is_ King, he is _Edward's_ King, and Edward will do anything for him. 

So why is he already pretty sure he's going to regret this?


End file.
